The Hunter and His Lost Love
by Kai Po
Summary: Ever wonder what Gale was thinking in the books? What his feelings were when Katniss got picked? Watching her be in danger in the Games and him unable to do anything? When Peeta confessed his love for Katniss? Or when he knew he would have to now take care of both her family and his? Find out in this story!
1. Chapter 1 Reaping Day part 1

**A/N: This is my first fan-fiction! Let me know what you think! I don't have the best grammar so let me know my mistakes. Any word will be appreciated : ) This story is more fit to the movie since you see more of Gale. I will be reading the books again to update my fan fiction and make it more entwined and relative to the actual books. Depending on how much this is liked. Will decide whether I write more or not. **

Ch.1 Reaping Day part 1

I walked into the bakery with an angry look on my face. Days of the Reaping always bring out the best in me and knowing the Mellark's might not be waiting for their game today makes it even worse.

"Oh, hey Gale…how's it going?" Peeta's tone makes me sense his confusion. Reaping days don't usually mean game for the Mellark's, the surprised look on his face let's me know he isn't sure what to do.

"To be honest Gale I'm not sure if we have enough money today…what do you got?"

"Just a squirrel" I say "All I could get through with all these peacekeepers around."

My tone comes off angry…it's hard to hide it when talking about the people responsible for your families starvation and your father's death. I can tell it scares him a little bit, but it fades.

"Well I'm sure my Dad will be happy with it. Let me go ask him if he'd like to buy it." That sound's like a no already...I can't believe I went out of my way this morning for this! If I can't feed my brothers today it might be the last time they'll be able to eat for awhile. My name is in the reaping bowl 42 times today and the odds aren't exactly in my favor. If I'm off to the Hunger Games it will be all up to Katniss to take care of my family…and she has enough to worry about with Prim and her mom already. We swore on oath that we'd take charge if one of us was ever selected. It's the only way each one of our families could survive. I hear a woman yelling up stairs and then a loud smack.

Peeta comes down with a red hand mark on his face embarrassed he starts rubbing the back of his head.

"Well I ran into my mother on the way to ask him and she said no." I feel the anger boiling inside me "Are you kidding me?" This time even more tense,

"I'm sorry Gale, it's just if one of my brothers or I get selected for the reaping we will have one less person to help with the bakery. It will be far more difficult to take care of everything and for that reason we need to save our money. If you want we can do an exchange for some bread?"

This won't do as well for my brothers. Its money they need! Money will allow them to buy food later on if I get selected! I guess I can't leave here with nothing. I look into the display case to see nothing but a small roll of bread. It has been entirely emptied.

"The peacekeepers came in earlier this morning and cleaned us out. All that's left is that dinner roll…if you want it you can have it." That dinner role is small enough that a rat would be left hungry, but it has been a while since my family and I have had bread. _Real _bread that was baked in a legitimate bakery by the only bakers in town, if I'm going to be chosen for the reaping I might as well give my brothers something special to eat. "I guess I have no other options…I'll take the bread. Here's the squirrel."

"Great Gale let me get that right out for you." He knows he's getting the better deal in this, but like I said I have no other options. Everyone in the Seam didn't want to buy it and this family seems to have a liking for squirrel…I guess looking at it in a more positive way I came out with something rather than nothing. He put's the roll in a small paper bag and hands it to me. I give him the squirrel and begin to walk out of the store.

"Gale?"

I look back confused "Yeah?"

"Good luck today…if you happen to be chosen, I'll try to get your family some of our bake goods when we can."

This amazes me….Peeta Mellark and I have never been one's to talk. The only was I have ever spoken to him is strictly business reasons and nothing more. At school I've greeted him with intimated looks, but now he's offering to help feed my family if I'm chosen? It makes no sense. I can't help it, but I try not to smile. I can respond no other way, but to thank him.

"Thank you Peeta." I begin to grin.

The look on his face brightens and I can tell that his words were genuine "It's the least I can do Gale, I know how hard you work to feed your family." I walk out the door in a better mood. I suspect Katniss is in the woods right now. I run off immediately to go meet her. If today is like any other she'll probably be on something's tail.

**A/N Would you like a part two to this story!? Let me know with your responses! Any are appreciated! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: 2nd part of my little mini series. Let me know what you think!**

Chapter 1 Reaping Day Part 2 (Following the Tracks)

I find Katniss in the woods after about an hour of tracking her shoe prints, her bow set and aimed on a deer. As she's about to shoot the deer it runs behind a boulder. Must have known a predator was near by. She must be going insane. It's reaping day! No way she'll be able to sell that in the seam! Let alone get it through the fence with out any peacekeepers noticing. It's suicide! I watch as she picks up a rock and slings it against a boulder. The deer runs out and is now in the open. After looking around for it's predator it's relaxed and begins eating moss upon a fallen tree. Katniss has a sure shot now….if I let her kill it no way I'll be able to convince her to not take it into the district. Deer is good meat and if it means feeding her family, Katniss will stop at nothing no matter how high the risk.

"What are you gonna do with that when you kill it?" I yell

The deer runs off and before Katniss can release her bow it's already out of her aim.

"Damn you Gale!"

I've known Katniss so long her anger doesn't faze me anymore and neither does mine with her. We know each other too well to know it won't last. I walk up to her with a grin and take an arrow out of her sheath

"It's not funny." She remarks, nearly forgetting that peacekeepers line the district today.

"What are you going to do with a hundred pound deer Catnip?"

Now I'm really getting on her nerves, her face flushes red. Catnip is a way I jokingly talk down to her…more teasing than anything, it makes her feel belittled.

"I was going to sell it to some peacekeepers!"

"Of course you were." I say with a sarcastic tone. Katniss knows better than to sell game on reaping days. I don't know what has gotten into her today. It must have been the sight of the deer.

"Like you don't sell to peacekeeper?" Her tone now very serious

"No! Not today!" It's true, I probably sell to peacekeepers everyday, but this one. They're the one's making the money in this dump and they're willing to spend it on good meat. It's when more come in from the Capitol that it's dangerous to presume these activities. If it wasn't for them I'd probably be helping Katniss skin the deer right now.

"It's the first deer I've seen in a year! Now I have nothing…"

I can't help, but feel bad for the fact I made her loose her kill. I decide I can't have her leaving with nothing.

"Okay" I say it as if the idea had been in my mind the entire time. I pick up a rock and throw it in a bush. A swarm of pigeons fly out as if escaping a bombardment. Within seconds Katniss has simultaneously pulled an arrow out of her sheath, drawn it and hit the bird right in the heart. We laugh at their stupidity; these birds have fallen into our trap once again.

We look at each other smiling and for a moment we are alone in our own world where nothing else exists. No Capitol to kill us, no families to take care of…just us. I begin to walk closer to Katniss, as if pulled by a force I am not familiar with except in her presence. I walk, closer and closer I get until….SSSSWWWWWOOOSSSSSSHHH. The tree's rattle, the animals flee from their peaceful hideaways and once again Katniss and I are reminded of our harsh realities. It's a Capitol hover craft…coming for today's reaping, escorting "the beautiful and young Effie Trinket", who will be picking the lucky tributes that '_have the honor of representing our district in the 74__th__ annual Hunger Games!_' I grab Katniss by the shoulders "Come on! Let's get out of here! Come on!"

We hide under a bush until it passes. Katniss breathes deeply and shakes her head.

"What?" I ask

"It's just Prim, she's so worried about getting picked today…I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry about it Katniss, I had to talk Rory out of being scared of it too. Once I told him the odds of everyone else getting picked before him he was fine. If Prim hasn't been secretly putting her name in for tesserae's she'll be fine." I look to her with a smile and we laugh.

"Yeah…if only you could tell _her _that."

"and you think she'd listen to me after _you _already tried to convince her she won't get picked? Katniss are you aware of how much your sister listens to you?

"Yeah haha…you're right."

We sit for another second before realizing we both have gone silent.

Cheering someone up isn't as easy when you're worried about how your life will turn out in the next few hours….even if you can do it's usually short lived. I get lost in thought about my brothers and mother. How would they survive without me? Katniss can shoot, but she is no good with traps…at least not as good as me. She needs something set while she's out hunting to comeback too! She's not going to be able to shoot enough animals to feed-

"Gale?" I was cut off in mid thought

"Yeah Katniss?" My tone comes off a little harsh. I can't help it though; I'm just getting overheated about thinking about all the things that could go possibly wrong if I'm chosen today to be one of the capitol's toys….

"We should get going…at least to that meadow nearby."

Both of us are trying to hide our true emotions right now, but at the same time wanting to comfort each other. It is a dark space to be in and it's impossible for us to leave. We are the foundations for our families, if we break down they will die…without us they're helpless and we are to attached to them to ever let them go. They're all we have in this terrible place we live.

"Alright…"

We get up and begin to walk, to possibly the last moments we will ever have with each other…

**A/N: Be sure to stay tuned for part 3! See how Gale reacts when Katniss and Peeta are picked in the reaping!Expected time to be finished is two weeks! **


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